Erik's Random 10

Most old-time music is barely remembered today. One of the totally forgotten bits is the deep influence jazz had on Appalachia. Billy Murray "Baby Rose" could almost be sung in a New York cabaret circa 1930. There's still a strong Appalachian aspect to this music without question. But in the attempt to paint Appalachian music as a pure "folk music," many music writers have taken agency away from these interwar musicians to create their own unique music out of many different styles of music suddenly available to the public at that time. The far more famous Bill Monroe was deeply affected by jazz, old-time music, blues, and other forms of music. A friend of mine even argues that the bass lines in bluegrass show a strong Mexican influence, and cites Monroe's years working in Texas as evidence for this possibility. Yet we often see bluegrass as this unadulterated music coming out of the mountains. That this is not true is even clear in the pre-Monroe artists such as Billy Murray.

1. Billy Murray, Baby Rose
2. Richard Thompson, 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
3. W.A. Mozart, Ein Stuck Fer Eine Orgel in Eine Uhr (Fantasy in F Minor) K.V. 594, Adagio. Hans Fagius, organ
4. Rilo Kiley--Accidntel Deth
5. King Crimson--Book of Saturday
6. Machito & His Afro-Cubans, Sopa de Pichon
7. Cream, Sitting on Top of the World
8. Frank Zappa, Return of the Son of Monster Magnet
9. Nenes, Umkaji
10. Alex J. Chávez, El Asturiano